This invention relates to apparatus for rinsing food particles in a container. More particularly, the invention relates to apparatus for rinsing pieces of extruded pasta product in containers in order to remove surface starch from the pasta.
In the manufacture of thermally processed entrees containing spaghetti, macaroni or other extruded pasta products and sauce, in which freshly extruded pasta material is filled into containers, the pasta pieces have a tendency to clump or mat together unless the containers are agitated during thermal processing. This clumping or matting, which is commercially undesirable, is due to the presence of surface starch on the extruded raw pasta pieces. Such clumping can be minimized by agitating the pasta-filled containers, such as by the use of a rotary retort in heat processing the filled containers, since the action of the rotary retort is effective in continuously coating the pasta pieces with sauce, with the surface starch being distributed into the sauce. In many circumstances, however, a suitable rotary retort is not available due to cost considerations, or due to the size or type of container utilized. Alternatively, clumping or matting of the pasta pieces can be minimized by first placing the extruded pasta pieces in hot water to remove the accumulation of surface starch, removing the pasta pieces from the hot water and introducing the drained pasta into a container. However, this requires double handling of the pasta pieces and, since the pasta pieces become softened upon introduction into the hot water, results in unacceptable levels of damage to the soft pasta pieces during the filling operation. Similarly, if dried pasta pieces, rather than freshly extruded pasta, are used in the production of such canned products, the dried pieces must first be blanched in hot water to hydrate and soften the pasta and remove surface starch, and the hydrated pasta removed from the blanch water and filled into containers. Here again the soft pasta pieces are subject to damage during the filling operations.
Accordingly there is a need for a system for removing surface starch from extruded pasta pieces without the necessity of double handling of the soft pasta pieces and which does not require the use of a rotary retort.